How Do You Collect?

, to the community

I do most of my buying on-line, some on e-bay, but mostly from coin dealers on the net and internet auctions.

The answer to your question is "yes".

Seriously, most of my coins have come from the "traditional" sources: brick-and-mortar coin shops, coin shows, and sitting-in-the-room-with-a-bunch-of-other-people coin auctions (though I haven't done that last one for several years now). I do very little of my buying online. What I do buy online, probably about half is from ebay, and half from other collectors and dealers I've gotten to know either on ebay or on the forums.

The internet seems to make collecting very convenient. If you want a particular item, seems there are always plenty to choose from. Except for the more rare items. Some coin shops might not have what you are looking for.
I thoroughly enjoy a visit to some coin shops and coin shows, it is so much better to decide on whether a coin is in the condition I want it to be in. You get exactly what you see in person.
On the internet, I have found I am sometimes pleasantly surprised my purchase is actually better and sometimes it goes a little bit the other way where the pictures are a little better than the coin I receive.
I have been luckier on the internet in getting some great deals where at a coin show or shop, I get pretty much a simple discount on the price tag.
I would say 80% of my coins come from the internet, 10% from shops or shows, 5% from friends who give me something by just being nice and knowing what I like to collect and maybe 5% right out of circulation.

Oh and WELCOME to the forum. Stick around, the bug might bite you. It's a lot of fun.

I purchase 95% of my coins from the same group of 5 dealers that I have bought from for years. Trust is an important factor in collecting. I do buy the occasional oddball coin on ebay or at a coin show but never any valuable coins without looking and holding the coin first.

Welcome to the Forum
I am fairly new to the collecting game (about 2 years). So I can still find coins I don't have in bank rolls.
I do have one dealer near me I use exclusively after trying out several in my area, he gets all my keydate/rare coin business.
I occasionally buy on e-bay and have had good experiance with most sellers I have used, but I thoroughly research them prior to bidding on their merchandise.
I face to face trade with several co-workers who also collect.
I have yet to attend a coin show but I am certain when I do I will buy coins.
Kie

At least 50% of my purchases are done through some sort of Internet use, 30-40% is done by actual visits to shops/shows, the rest is through the forums, friends, the U S Mint, out of state bullion companies who I have known for years, roll searching, family etc, I hope this helps your data collecting, How have you come to do a topic like this, are you a collector, if not, stick around long enough and you just might become another person with a passion to fill empty holes in nice colored albums!!

90% of my purchases are on line, some from ebay and the rest from online dealers. I have been using about 4 online sites form most of my purchases. I only have one local coin dealer and he has a very limited number of coins so I try to find coin stores when I am traveling.

Yes - I obtain coins either by trade or purchase, How it is completed depends entirely on the price range per coin, e.g. Below US1$ by fancy, $1 to $20 is whichever and wherever, $20 to $100 requires some level of trust on the source, but willing to take the risk, and at $101 above, will have to be face to face, with coin on the table... For trades - as the wind blows...